This invention pertains generally to structures and methods of mechanical music boxes which are powered by a mechanical spring motor mechanism, and more particularly to a music box in which the music box and an object fixedly attached to the music box, such as an Earth globe, are rotated about a predetermined axis by virtue of holding the spring unwinding mechanism stationary.
The field of mechanical music box art, as in many of the mechanical arts, is fairly well developed, having derived from the clockmakers"" art of earlier centuries. At the same time, however, little development has occurred to extend such arts to new technological areas or applications, or to combine such art with other elements in novel ways. Furthermore, the music box of such traditional devices is usually hidden and/or static, that is devoid of motion.
In one traditional type of music box, the music generating mechanism (such as a spring-motor driven toothed cylinder and a plurality of tuned metal reeds which vibrate when struck by the teeth) is hidden in a lower portion of a jewelry box. Lifting of the jewelry box lid releases a mechanical latch, allowing the spring motor to rotate the toothed cylinder and actuate the music playing. In such traditional music boxes, potential energy is stored in the spring by manually winding the spring with a key, as is known in the art. The music box itself remains stationary while the toothed cylinder within the box rotates. Normally, the key that is used to wind the spring motor unwinds by rotating in the opposite direction from the winding direction during music playback.
One use of the music box, and the rotating nature of the key or shaft during the unwinding, is to use the energy of the spring to supply motion to another object. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,429 accomplishes this by replacing the winding key with a longer rotating shaft and attaching an object (in this case an ornamental carousel horse) to be rotated with the shaft. A special start and stop mechanism is used in conjunction with the music box (both hidden in an drawer), having the music box play music and rotate the object when the drawer is open, and to stop playing and rotating when the drawer is closed. This however leaves the music box upside down, offering an unpleasant view. Therefore in this invention the music box is hidden and its orientation unimportant.
Other methods of using the stored potential energy in a music box for rotation of another object may require specialized music boxes that allow for attachable shafts and/or gears, increasing cost and breakability Other methods may also leave the winding key awkwardly placed, the music box being less ergonomic to use and more likely to break.
While the generic use of some types of wound spring motors and music box mechanisms has been known for some time, the fill potential of such mechanisms has not been filly appreciated, especially from an esthetic perspective. Increasingly, electronic and/or computer gadgets have supplanted elegant mechanical structures of earlier times. As a result, the contemporary home is awash with batteries, electronic beeps, tangles of power cords, and mantles and tabletops that begin to more resemble electronics workbenches than esthetic and contemplative focal points.
Therefore, there remains a need for contemporary decorative and functional objects that are animated yet electrical energy conservative. An Earth globe that rotates under its own mechanical power and optionally plays a musical tune is an example of one such decorative object.
The invention provides an apparatus and method for rotating an object using a spring motor such as the spring motor in a music box mechanism. The apparatus includes a mechanical motor having a spring coupled between a body and a shaft where the shaft and the body are mounted for relative rotation. The spring is windable to store mechanical potential energy and when released, unwinds to release the stored energy and cause relative rotation between the body and the shaft. A base adapted for stationary placement against a surface such as a table or desktop is fixedly coupled to, or integrally formed with, the shaft of the motor. An object such as a spherical planetary object or globe or any other object is connected to the body and includes an aperture or hole through which the base extends to the shaft. This aperture permits the object to rotate about the shaft without interference allowing the body and the object to rotate about the shaft as the spring unwinds.
In one particular embodiment, the object is an Earth globe formed of a transparent or semitransparent material, so that the music box having a transparent housing is visible as the globe turns and the music plays.
Method for operating the mechanism to rotate and object such as the Earth globe is provided, as is an article of manufacture.